More thimbles.

I know I promised to make a C10 next (which I am about to start) but I had finished these and not photographed/blogged them so when I noticed it has been 6 days since my last post I thought I'd better add something for you.

I have made 11 thimbles  now (only 4 to go until the big unveil of my dodgy 1st one). Honestly you can't comprehend just how dodgy it is. I should call it a thimble wreck in homage to my favourite baking site.

Number 10 (on the right) was made from the first thimble kit sold by Ma Mercerie.  The pink/white one is number 11 and is an attempt at Debi's pattern. It is a little different because my base is 1cm longer (and perhaps a little taller) so I think there is an extra repeat and I swapped the colours for the final stitch on each path. My stitches are still a little rough (gappy) along the edges.... I must work harder on getting this right.

I had read that the silk floss (Chloe Patricia - on the Yahoo group?) gives a softer base when used as padding compared to the sewing thread we have been using.  I thought about this a lot and compared the 3 thimbles from Ma Mercerie with the bases I had made.  I agree, it is true, and I like the softer base much better. 

I did buy a bag of wool roving when I first learned about thimble stitching... but I don't really like my chances of grooming it into place so it is still in the bag. On the pink one featured in this post I used some white felt scraps I had been hoarding to use as a temari core. (You may remember the Christmas post which showed the little felt stockings hanging on our tree.)  I cut it to the length of the base and about 2/3rds of  the thimble height. I tacked the ends together and added a few long stitches around the thimble to keep it anchored so it would not slip around while I made the first few rows.I actually like the softness felt adds to the base, but it will take a bit of practice to get the stitch tension right when using this as a base.  Also I need to establish the best width to use to cover the base... too narrow and the curve of the thimble looks odd but too wide and I will be catching it in the stitches and going nuts.

Well that's all folks. Tomorrow is Mother's Day and I am hoping for pancakes for breakfast... but I will be happy with drowned cereal or burnt toast. I hope your day is lovely with your own mum/children if your country is celebrating tomorrow (and even if your not).